I Know Her
by MiladyGirl
Summary: A little ficlet about what Maleficent experiences as she takes possession of Aurora's will, and what happens after. Slight femslash.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

A little ficlet about what Maleficent experiences as she takes possession of Aurora's will. May or may not be continued, it all depends on what the muse decides (she's the one with the true magic, I'll have you know.) Slight femslash so far, will increase if story continues. :P

I hope you'll like to read it, if only half as much as I liked to write it. :)

* * *

The green light urging the princess on is the very essence of my being. I am, at this moment, a bodiless entity, melting together with the princess's mind, enveloping it in my will. My _will_, yes, but the fact of the matter is that when you manipulate someone's soul, their soul is also seeping into yours.

And therefore, I know her.

I know everything there is to know about her; every thought that ever crossed her mind, every dream she ever dreamed, every emotion she ever felt. I know her secrets, her embarrassments, her hopes and her fears.

I know she often speaks of meeting a prince and fall in love, but I also know that hidden within, so deep down she barely allows herself to know it, her true dream is meeting a woman. It's a woman's hands she dreams of, a woman's lips upon her own. It surprises me slightly, but it does not shock me the way it would shock her "aunts" or her parents.

I know that while she is pure of heart, she is also quite a prankster. None of the useless guardians of hers can believe it, but she has played so many pranks on them in all these years, and gotten away with everything. It amuses me greatly, how clever she is, the little wide-eyed princess. True, her pranks aren't cruel or twisted the way mine would be, but she's still one cunning little vixen.

I know that she secretly loves thunderstorms. Flora, Fauna and Merryweather may have taught her it's dangerous to be outside in such weather, but she still likes to sneak out and watch as lightning cut the skies to ribbons. I know that the sound of crashing thunder makes her feel strong and free, rather than small and afraid.

I know that the princess, with all her grace and beauty, is not merely a pretty doll, she is an intelligent, spiritual young woman who spends a lot of time thinking; a surprisingly rare and refreshing trait in the young ones, especially if they are royalty. She is far from the naïve child her three good fairy companions believe she is. If she was my enemy, I might even be a little apprehensive; perhaps not quite afraid, but definitely watchful. But _she _is not my enemy - she never were.

At this moment, I know her in every aspect of the word apart from the physical… which is unnecessary, as a connection of the mind and soul is much more intimate than any physical connection could ever be. But now that all the knowledge of the princess Aurora is sinking in, I am afraid I might have made a terrible mistake. Because before I cast the curse upon her, I stressed the fact that the princess would be loved... _by all who know her. _

I put a curse on an innocent princess, and unwittingly put a spell on myself as I did. Magic is full of cruel twists of fate, even for someone as experienced and powerful as I am. I should have known. It takes a great sorceress to make great mistakes.

As the princess pricks her finger and falls to the ground, I reclaim my physical body and catch her effortlessly in my arms. The deed is done. And only one question remains;

_What am I supposed to do now?_

That, I do not know.


	2. Chapter 2

I look down at the princess, I feel her entire exquisite weight in my arms, and my heart - the one I did not know I had - clenches in my chest. It's a painful, nauseating feeling, but at the same time it's not entirely unpleasant. Perhaps because it was a very, very long time since I felt anything warmer than tired disgust towards others, except for Diablo. I hear the Good Fairies rush up the stairs, crying out for their precious princess, and I am torn. Should I stay or leave? I know they cannot do anything to harm me, and they wouldn't dare to try even if they could. But I don't want to meet their eyes, and the hatred they harbour towards me. I feel ashamed of myself, of my own pettiness and need for revenge. At least I think this is what shame feels like; I've never felt it in my entire life.

But I know the boy she met is to come to the cottage. While the princess's deepest desire seems to be directed at women, perhaps the boy is an exception. Perhaps he is her true love, whose kiss can break the spell. Perhaps, if I go there and speak to him, escort him here - by force, if necessary - he can save her.

I could of course just leave it here. After all, I got what I wanted. But…

But.

I put the princess down on the floor, very gently, making sure I don't hurt her. I stroke her beautiful hair once, whispering:

"Precious Aurora, how I wish that I could take it all back. I am so sorry."

Her useless guardians are almost here. I had planned on taunting them, laughing at their distress, but it seems I only managed to taunt myself. I turn to meet my enemies as they rush in through the door. They gasp at the sight of me, and I suddenly feel weary of my own existence. Why have I fought so hard to be the one everybody fears? What good has come of it?

I glare at them, searching for words to mock them but I come up empty, possibly because every word of mockery would strike back at me, twist the dagger I just threw into my own heart. For sixteen years, I had imagined this moment to be one of triumph, but I only feel sick of it all. As I disappear in green flames, I see them cry over the princess, and I feel like I could cry myself.

* * *

**A/N**

See, the muse wanted to do more with this! I'm glad! :D I hope you guys like it. There will be more coming. :)


	3. Chapter 3

I stand outside the cottage, waiting for the boy to arrive. Diablo is on my shoulder. I can sense his disapproval, but he supports my decision nevertheless. He is my only friend. I sometimes wonder about the fact that he stays, although he knows me. And I wonder if that means someone - _anyone _- else would ever stay with me if I allowed them to get to know me. Well. It's an interesting idea, but it will never be tested. Deception hurts too much. Why humans constantly expose themselves to the risk of being harmed, of trusting only to be let down, I will never know. Because they are weak, is what I have believed. I wonder if I was mistaken about this as well. Maybe I have been the weak one.

Diablo caws and I can hear the sound of a horse approaching. What am I doing here? Am I honestly going to undo the work I have dedicated sixteen years to? Apparently, I am. If this is what love does to people, change their nature completely, I'm not entirely sure I want it.

My jaw slackens in surprise when I realise it's not just a peasant boy, it's the prince. Prince Philip, the man she is betrothed to. What an irony. How I would have laughed at this if I hadn't been so… what? What am I? Distressed? Am I, really? Well. It doesn't matter. If it is a prince, perhaps it means that the princess will get her happily ever after. He slides off his horse and approaches the cottage, filled with the loathsome testosterone-induced confidence only very young and very inexperienced men have. Diablo nudges me, as if to remind me of my decision. For a moment I hesitate. Let the prince believe his little girlfriend tricked him, but...

But.

I step forward.

"The girl you are looking for is not here," I say. He turns around and gasps in fear when he sees me. I wonder if it is because of the usual; that I look frightening, or if it is because he knows me from the princess's christening. He was but a small child then, but I look the same. And the situation would have been rather traumatic for him. You always remember the things that scares you the most.

"You," he says.

"Me," I agree. "Listen to me, boy. You might have a chance to save the life of the girl you claim to love. _If _it is true love. You look for a peasant girl. You have been misled. She is really the princess Aurora."

He gives me the defiant glare of youth.

"Why should I believe anything you say?"

"Because I know what I am talking about. Unlike most people, it seems. Aurora has been taken to the castle. She did prick her finger, and she is in a deep, enchanted sleep that can be broken only from true love's kiss. If you are her true love, you can save her. Go."

He takes a few steps towards his horse and then stops.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I have my reasons, _sweet prince_." This time I can't hold back my mockery. Men have always brought out the worst in me. I have a really low tolerance to them, the cockier they are, the lower my tolerance.

He does not respond, he only mounts his horse and rides off. Ah, a valiant figure indeed, straight and tall. I shake my head and stroke Diablo's feathers.

"Come, my pet. We must go and see if it works. If it doesn't…" I trail off. If it doesn't, I am willing to mix my magic with Merryweather's and see if our magic combined can put an end to this. However, I hope it won't have to come to that. I fear that further mixing Good Fairy magic with Wicked Fairy magic might kill the princess rather than saving her. But I am at a loss of what else to do.

* * *

**A/N**

So, I got some extra time to write this morning, and so I could get this part done. One more to go. Hope you like it! :)


	4. Chapter 4

I can hardly call it a warm greeting. Flora and Merryweather glare at me with something akin to hatred in their eyes - apparently it is not impossible for Good Fairies to feel that way, after all. Fauna only looks dejected. I almost feel sorry for her. I have always thought that if she didn't have her sisters to pour all sorts of unpleasantries about me into her ears, she could have been my friend.

"Maleficent! How dare you coming back here? Haven't you done enough harm already?!"

I take the scold in stride.

"Yes, I have. In fact, I am trying to undo it."

"Do you expect us to believe that?"

"I can't force you to believe me, but I am telling the truth." I turn to the bewildered prince, who cannot seem to decide what to do. "Go ahead. Kiss her."

I turn back to the three fairies. I don't want to see him wake her, I don't want to see the kiss, I don't want to see her in his arms. I'm not very keen at looking at my enemies either, but it doesn't hurt as much.

"It didn't work. You tricked me!" the prince growls from behind me. "You are the most vicious creature I…"

"I didn't trick you." I choke out. "I swear I believed it would work." I look to Fauna. If anyone in this room is to have mercy on me, it's her. She eyes me carefully.

"I believe you," she finally says. "I don't understand why you would bother trying to undo the curse, but I do believe you."

"Well, I don't," Merryweather remarks. "Why would you ever want to undo your life's quest? Harming others is after all the only thing you live for."

No. Maybe it has been that way, but it doesn't have to _stay _that way. I may never be the perfectly pure-hearted, wide-eyed type, but I am capable of feelings. It has been proven to me only today. And I am capable of caring.

And I am capable of love.

Of _love_…

"May I try something?" I ask. I direct the question at Flora, who will be the one to answer it either way.

"Not before you tell me why you do this," she says. Her voice is firm.

"If it works, I will."

"That's not good enough. How can we be sure you won't cause even more harm?"

"Is that possible?" Fauna interrupts in a timid voice. "I can't see how."

"But she is right, Fauna." I can hear my voice tremble, threatening to fail me altogether. No. I will not cry in front of them. I simply won't. I clear my throat and try to get myself together, and this time my voice carries. "She is right. How can you be sure? Even I can't be sure. With magic this strong, who can be sure of anything?"

Flora and Merryweather look suspicious, and I don't blame them. Fauna takes a deep breath and steps forward. She looks me in the eye and nods.

"Go on, Maleficent. If you can do anything to wake the princess, do it."

"Thank you," I whisper and walk by her, up to the princess's bed. She looks so innocent. I smile when I recall that she is far from that. Oh, if I only could stay with her. I stroke her hair once more, hair of sunshine gold. How beautiful she is… and how grotesque I must look to her. It hurts to know that she will never see what she stirred inside my heart.

I lean forward and kiss her lips, gently. Someone gasps behind me, but I don't know who it is. The prince, perhaps. And at that very moment, I feel Aurora's lips respond to my kiss. It frightens me and I pull back as though she bit me rather than kissed me. And then she sits up, fully awake, and her hands grasp mine. The grasp is soft, but I have a feeling it would harden immediately if I tried to pull loose. She may _look _delicate, even fragile, but she _is _so much more than meets the eye.

"Maleficent," she says. Her eyes stare into mine but she shows no sign of repulsion or fear.

"How do you know my name?" I ask. It is a fair question.

"I know everything about you. Don't you remember? I walked with you, once upon a dream. Inside the green light. We were one."

Oh. Of course, that makes sense. Our souls melded together. What I took from her, she also took from me. She knows every last thing about me. How I lost my wings. What horrors happened to me when I was a child. My yearning to belong, and my despair when I never did. And how I cried over being the only one in the kingdom not invited to the most important gathering under king Stefan's rule. She knows I have always felt inferior, and tried to hide it behind a condescending and evil persona. She knows, and she doesn't judge. She doesn't laugh at me. And I can finally let go.

"Thank you for waking me," she says and pulls me closer. She kisses me again, and I feel tears streaming down my cheeks. "I know you are the one who cursed me. I know why. And I forgive you."

Nobody has ever forgiven me anything before. I lean against the princess's shoulder and weep like a child, a very tired child who has been through horrible things and finally is safe again, and she puts her arms around me.

"I know. I know you felt like you never belonged anywhere. But you do. You belong with me, Maleficent. Let me love you."

How brave she is to offer such a thing to someone like me. Brave or foolish. I can feel my heart open to hers, like a flower to the sun, and it frightens me. But one look into her eyes calms me; she means it. And this isn't because of a magic spell. Unless you want to call love magic, which it is. It is the greatest magic in the world. And when it strikes, apparently even Wicked Fairies surrender to it.

* * *

**A/N**

There. A ficlet of mine, that turned into a _story_, that is almost as unlikely as a fairy turning into a dragon... no, wait... ^^

I hope you have enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Reviews make the muse happy. Thank you everyone for encouragement and cheers! Oh, and I apologise for the mistakes that doubtlessly got in here and there; I do try to spot them but since English isn't my first language, some of them slip through anyway.


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